A barnstorming basketball team is ready to vie for a slice of Sunshine Coast sports history.
The men’s team from USC Rip City is bidding to become the first side from the region to win Queensland’s premier basketball competition.
They’re due to collide with the Gold Coast Rollers in a best-of-three grand final series this weekend, to cap an amazing campaign in the NBL1 North.
Star forward Kouat Noi — the league’s most valuable player — said his team was primed for the occasion.
“We’re going to go out and bring the championship to USC,” the 24-year-old said via a club press release.
“It’s going to be a great match. They (Rollers) have some NBL players in there so I’m looking forward to that match-up.
“We have so much momentum going into this game, I just can’t wait.
“We just have to get these two wins next week and we’re going to be champions.”
The Sunshine Coast boasts a storied history in basketball, especially since the region’s best players started to compete in the state league in 1987.
The Suncoast Clippers (now the Phoenix) finished second in the competition before claiming the national amateur championship in stunning fashion in 1997 and their teams have also won Southern Conference titles, which involved teams from around south Queensland). They’ve also featured in Queensland league grand finals.
But no team from the region has claimed a division one men’s or women’s state title.
USC Rip City is well placed to do so, after their remarkable rise.
The University of the Sunshine Coast-based club only joined the state league in 2016 but they’ve been highly competitive, claiming multiple berths in the playoffs.
They’ve taken their game to another level in 2022, under the guidance of long-term coach Nathan Arousi and with the presence of 201cm Noi, who is bound for the Sydney Kings in the National Basketball League.
Rip City won 13 of 19 games during the regular season to finish third on the ladder before beating Darwin 89-86 in the quarter finals and Cairns 90-63 in the semi-finals.
It was their impressive win over Cairns, in front of a club record 1400 fans at USC Stadium in Sippy Downs, which had their fans particularly excited ahead of the weekend.
Rip City captain Isaih Tueta tallied 16 points and 10 assists and forward Eric McAlister contributed 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists
Noi was simply dominant, with 32 points and 19 rebounds.
“The crowd was awesome, the bench was awesome, and my teammates played very well defensively,” he said.
“I knew I had to go out there and rebound the ball, and get stops defensively. Getting that 30-piece and double-double was just icing on the top.”
The victory set up the grand final series against the Rollers, who have been the best team this season with NBL players Jason Cadee and Tanner Krebs.
The series tips off at Carrara Stadium on Friday night at 7.30pm, with the deciding games to follow on Saturday night and if needed, on Sunday afternoon.
Queensland’s premier basketball competition for men and women has been called NBL1 North, since 2000.
There are other semi-professional NBL1 competitions around Australia (South, East, West, Central).
The NBL1 is essentially the tier below the National Basketball elite League.
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